How long does Phorm have left?
Thursday 07 August 2008 12:16:45 by Andrew Ferguson
Phorm the online ad system that claims to generate revenue for providers through better targeting of online adverts is very likely to be feeling the effects of the credit crunch. In the United States NebuAd which was proprosing a similar system has let its PR agency go, and laid off a number of staff. The Register tried to get confirmation of the numbers involved but was unable to.
The UK government has EU commissioner Viviane Reding breathing down its neck, with a deadline of the end of August 2008 to respond to a letter about Phorm from the European Commission. The precise content of the letter is unknown, but it is not unknown for the EU to take a different position to the UK government on issues in this arena and others. It is thought to hinge on whether Phorm breaches European Data Laws.
For Phorm to succeed it has to be able to charge more than normal advertisements, particularly as Phorm, the site the advert is placed on and the broadband provider will all take a cut from the advertising revenue. The ability to target users has already been cut, by the requirement for Phorm to be opt-in, combine this with news of advertising revenues dropping and the chance of Phorm succeeding looks small even without the EU stepping in.
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Advertisers, PLEASE LISTEN!
- DO NOT make irritating, flashing moving talking stuff.. you will just get blocked and a bad rep...
- If you want to get 'happy customers' please go back to googlesense - a simple, polite ad for stuff the guy is looking at, will get much more sucess...
google adsence is a terrible, terrible advert system comnut.
Go look up "Project Wonderful" :)
I was only talking 'comparatively' ....
what would you rather have??
- a website that closes due to no revenue from ads or contributions???
- a website about IT where the ads constantly talk about viagra, extensions, female hygene ???? (using big flashing clors, etc..)
- or the same site, that has *useful* ads that talk about the subject involved???
go on you tell me, how is a private website meant to pay for its bandwidth??
tell me how you could make sure that an ad on a particular site can be made so useful, that it will actually be used....
*If* Phorm were to go under, that could leave Phorm's Chief Technology Officer [1], the same chap who while still CTO at BT Retail authorised secret trials of Phorm (and then authorised denial of them), looking for a job.
Do you think there's much of a market for slightly damaged ISP CTOs in the near future? Maybe Comcast [2] could use him?
[1] http://www.phorm.com/about/exec_scleparis.php
[2] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/04/fcc_neutrality_analysis/
Have to say, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at Phorm strategy meetings at the moment. Optimism must be in short supply. Still, they can always rewrite a bit of code and repackage it as a tool for uk.gov to create their proposed communications database.
I feel that it's not so much the product itself which causes consternation as the attitude of both BT and Phorm themselves when confronted with the issues. One almost starts to wonder if the next step is actually sending the heavies round with clubs with nails in them to sort out journalists who continue to ask difficult questions.
You can't condemn a company for not wanting to sit back while they are badmouthed but it's quite another thing to be rude, dishonest and bullying.
I felt that way until I researched it...
Just realise that phorm can make it possiible to change the whole content of a page, while it is IN TRANSIT to your PC!!! this is the main focus of the issue - sure they say they will not do that, but how much do you trust them not to 'break and enter' your pc??? It has been sold as a magic advertising solution to big companies, but looks very much like 'a spy in your PC' ...
even happening in US - some have rejected it..
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/13/phorm_us_tests/
er WHEN will advertisers learn, we DO NOT want to be targeted, tracked, cold called, etc, etc?????
Phorm kept its real agenda covered, until it was sold to the idiot companies, but it's power (and GREAT possibility of misusing it! ) frightened off everyone...
The growth of flash was acclaimed as a fantastic way to make webpages, BUT the MADvertisers twisted it to its own crazy scheme, now 90% is blocked as a matter of course...